Family and friends are honoring the life of a beloved father killed on a busy street in Mira Mesa. Mohamad Krichati, 50, was killed instantly when he crashed into a tree on Mercy Road. His car started on fire. Police said he was speeding at the time of the crash.
His daughter, Reema Krichati is truly following in her father's footsteps. "As a kid I told him I would never be an engineer. Never, ever, ever. And because of him, I am an engineer," she said. Reema will graduate college in just a couple of weeks. Her father, Mohamad, originally from Syria, graduated with a bachelor's and master's degree in engineering.
His best friend told NBC 7 he was a man who always put his family first and was a father of five. "He dedicates his life to his wife and kids, and he does a very good job. Everyone around him likes him," said Marwan Hammouri.
"For two days we couldn't see him and we couldn't make the connection that he was really gone. So, for a while I was just waiting by the door waiting for him to come home because he never misses out on dinner," added his daughter, Reema.
His family is devastated by the loss but also finding strength through his memory. "Truthfully if we stayed sad it wouldn't be fair to him. It would be a wrong way to remember him, and I don't think he would like that either," Reema said. She added that she now wants to share this important message with others. "Tell your parents no matter how much you don't agree, to tell them that you love them because you really don't know when the last time is going to be goodbye," she said.
Mohamad was known in the community for his involvement in Syrian refugee support groups. A gofundme page has been created to help support his wife and children.
